The present invention relates generally to a device for guiding coils of wire and is, more particularly, directed to an arrangement or device applied at machines for the surface treatment of wire, specifically jet descaling machines. The invention operates to hold back or retard the windings of a wire bundle which is suspended from a rotating, horizontal supporting shaft and is located in front of the inlet into the machine. With respect to machines behind which the windings are again to be collected together to form a bundle or bunch, the invention also provides a device which becomes effective at the discharge end of the machine. The device of the invention causes the wire windings to form a fan-like formation and to guide their transport to and from the machine while turning or rotating about a center point.
Wire jet descaling machines have previously been proposed wherein wire is transported in the form of windings from a wire bundle through the jet chamber of the machine in a screw-like or helical form while being suspended from a cam or pinion shaft. In order that the individual windings of the coiled wire become disengaged or removed from the bundle of wire in a clean or unobstructed manner, arrangements or devices are required for holding back or retarding the movement of the windings. German Pat. No. 15 27 789 discloses an arrangement wherein the windings are held back or retarded and are caused to form a fan formation by an inclined separating rod or by an inclined oblong roll or roller which engages the windings.
In prior art devices such as the one mentioned above, such separating rods have the disadvantage that a relatively small diameter of the stationary or fixed rod facilitates friction with the wire. The same disadvantages apply to roller rods. An additional disadvantage involves the fact that the possibility of adjusting such rods for wire bundle diameters of different size is extremely limited. Moreover, the diameter of the rods and the rod rollers cannot be very large inasmuch as the rollers or rods should not become clamped between the individual wire turns or coils but should, instead, be capable of developing some degree of "play" so that they may turn freely. The danger of clamping is particularly great with wire bundles which have small diameters with a small pitch of the screw-like wire turns or coils when, at the same time, the wire has a relatively large diameter.
The object of the present invention is generally to provide an improved arrangement for guiding the coils of wire to and from machines of the aforementioned type and to enable assembly of a machine wherein the aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated or avoided.